Our First Week With Coco

 

By Steve Halpern

After our dog Rosie passed away, Judi and I took the plunge and got five-month-old Coco from a no kill shelter in New Jersey. Coco appeared to be the friendliest of the puppies in the shelter. However, when we took her outside, she just laid down and wouldn’t walk. We thought she might be a bit laid back so we took her home. Well, that laid back dog has turned into an active, and at times frantic athlete.

All dogs have their similarities and peculiarities. Our last dog Rosie was friendly with people and other dogs when she was a puppy. Then, after she was attacked three times, she became aggressive with other dogs, but continued to be friendly with people.

Coco warmed up to Judi and I after she came into our home. However, she is shy with other people and dogs. At first, she refused to even walk in the direction of where people or dogs were walking. She is getting better at this, but it takes time for her to warm up to strangers. 

There have been several persistent challenges. These include housebreaking, chewing, and teaching her to respond to commands. All these take time and we haven’t found any easy answers. 

Last night there was a program on PBS about how to train puppies. Coco watched most of that program, but apparently, she didn’t learn much from those trainers. We understand that we need to be the ones who need the training, but this is a process. 

On the bright side, Coco is the most affectionate dog we ever had. With all her issues, looking at her escapades has given us continuous entertainment. I believe she understands that she is in a better place from the shelter where she was caged for several months with other puppies. In her own way she has done her best to show her appreciation and now we are members of her pack. We need to learn how to be the alpha members of that pack.

One thing trainers never talk about is that there is a certain amount of luck involved with raising dogs. We live in an environment that is hostile to workers and animals. We do our best and hope for the best. However, in this environment there are many things that are out of our control. I say those words after having dogs for about fifty years. Well, that’s it for now and wish us well with our journey with Coco.